Crossing the channel in boats

[MarshaBradyo]

Listening to radio re terrible situation on the water but also in camps in France

It all sounds very hard

What would you like to see happen?

I’d like to see finding a way to process legitimate claims without the sea route.

So criminalising I’m not that crazy about but if it stops children being taken on boats then dying then maybe

If there is a way to process before the sea path is taken - would take inter country co operation though

IMO all this is a load of horseradish.

The French don't want to work with us or solve the problem of channel crossings. These crossings keeps the number of 'illegals' in their country down. They have 'illegals' because they are doing nothing about securing their borders. The fact is that they can't secure their own borders because the EU policy is 'Open Borders'.

Macron is due to fight an election next year so he's trying to stay popular.
French voters are fickle with their pick for the Élysée Palace. Only a quarter of the electorate plans to vote for Macron in the first of the two rounds next April, according to surveys, while three fifths of the French disapprove of him — and all sitting presidents but one have been thrown out at elections since 1988. The exception was 2002, when Jean-Marie Le Pen, the far-right leader, knocked out Lionel Jospin, the Socialist favourite, ensuring the unexpected re-election of Jacques Chirac.

I wonder if making it plain that no-one who comes by sea will be allowed to stay, and their asylum claims are dealt with offshore somewhere, and then returned to their country of origin if they don't get asylum, would stem the boats, especially if the processing centre is somewhere with British sovereignty but remote and not within reach of theses shores, with a military presence. Not sure how the Falkland Islanders would feel about that though.

Criminalizing people seeking asylum for the way they arrive is actually contrary to international refugee law so in doing that the UK is going against international human rights laws. Not a great look for a UN Security Council member, and is unlikely to stop the crossings anyway

Apparently the UK refuses to send refugee claims officers to Calais to preprocess claims In person although the French are ok with this - that might help reduce numbers.

But from what Lord Kerr says, it seems that the UK are systematically refusing claims so it isn’t really about international cooperation but UK government policy regarding how may refugees it is prepared to accept.

Apparently the UK refuses to send refugee claims officers to Calais to preprocess claims In person although the French are ok with this - that might help reduce numbers.

Really?

Well this seems the easiest solution to me.

We’ve offered other resources so not sure why not this

They have 'illegals' because they are doing nothing about securing their borders

Well to borrow the term that’s horseradish….

our local Gendarmes/PAF continue to arrest people heading north from Spain and the staff at our local prefecture work full on to process/deny the claims of those seeking asylum/“leave to remain”…

As for the Presidential…given the way the voting works all the candidates tend to sit in the 20-30 % level pre the first round…..FWIW Macron’s approval rating as President is sitting at just above 50%..compare and contrast with other incumbent politicians both inside France and elsewhere…

Finally I still find the frequent digs that somehow Macron is uniquely naughty and being very French in supposedly pandering to the electorate somewhat entertaining…it’s called politics…

You’d have to have to be staggeringly blinkered and lacking in awareness if you can’t see perhaps other examples of this in other countries, including at least one politician whose staff seem to have the DM and DE on speed dial.

Ellen I suggest you look a bit more closely at the efforts the French make to try to stop people getting to the UK. There is a lot of effort made to stop people getting to the UK from the French side, a lot of police time and money spent patrolling.

These people are determined to get to the UK, they are offered help in France but they want to go to the UK at any cost. They try, get caught and try again. Even if they were all let through they would still represent a very small proportion of asylum seekers and refugees in France.

People here keep going on about Macron’s election and ignoring that this is politicking by Johnson. That letter was for domestic consumption, trying to push the blame elsewhere, provoke a spat and hide the actions of his government.

😀 @notimagain

650,
"There is a lot of effort made to stop people getting to the UK from the French side, a lot of police time and money spent patrolling."

Really.

So how are we seeing pictures of French police sitting idly by while people launch boats??

In actual fact they aren't boats they're inflatables so one bullet would puncture them. Simple.

People here keep going on about Macron’s election and ignoring that this is politicking by Johnson. That letter was for domestic consumption, trying to push the blame elsewhere, provoke a spat and hide the actions of his government

100% this. And judging by some of the posters on this thread it’s worked, it’s all the fault of Macron isn’t it

Of course that does nothing to solve the problem but it does whip up anti French sentiment clearly.

@Lonelycrab

People here keep going on about Macron’s election and ignoring that this is politicking by Johnson. That letter was for domestic consumption, trying to push the blame elsewhere, provoke a spat and hide the actions of his government

100% this. And judging by some of the posters on this thread it’s worked, it’s all the fault of Macron isn’t it

Of course that does nothing to solve the problem but it does whip up anti French sentiment clearly.

So all U.K. to blame then?

Some people fall for this just as easily.

And happy to have a things not move forward as long as Johnson gets it.

Works great for those waiting, but still, worth it.

In actual fact they aren't boats they're inflatables so one bullet would puncture them. Simple.

So you’re suggesting the use of live rounds?

notimagain,

"So you’re suggesting the use of live rounds?"

Well, blanks aren't going to puncture them are they?!

Instead of the French police watching while the boats get launched why not just walk up and shoot a hole in them?

In fact anyone seen transporting these inflatables anywhere near the coast needs to be stopped and have a good reason to be carrying them.

The problem needs to be stopped at source. But as I said the French aren't serious about stopping it IMO

www.itv.com/news/2021-11-16/up-to-50-migrants-launch-dinghy-from-calais-beach-unhindered-by-french-police

Something that puzzles me is how quickly supposed people smugglers were identified following the recent disastrous sinking and deaths at sea .

Is it so easy to identify and find these people ? Couldn't many more be brought to justice ?

perdito

"Something that puzzles me is how quickly supposed people smugglers were identified following the recent disastrous sinking and deaths at sea "

Exactly.

The criminal gangs are making as much as £150k per boat, according to the BBC website - that's a profitable enterprise that's going to be hard to crush. Vulnerable people are exploited and lied to by them.
I could barely watch the Sky News report - parents were putting small children in the inflatables, the sea was grey, it was freezing cold and the journey fraught with danger.
Why would a parent do that? They must think France and the EU don't support them enough, or Britain is more inclusive and supportive, or it's virtually Shangri la. Whatever, those gangs won't give up any time soon, no matter how much the UK chucks at the problem.
This needs a concerted effort by all parties who need to stop being petty and crack on with a solution.

@peridito

Something that puzzles me is how quickly supposed people smugglers were identified following the recent disastrous sinking and deaths at sea .

Is it so easy to identify and find these people ? Couldn't many more be brought to justice ?

That's a really good point. I know that there are a couple of survivors who can maybe give some evidence.

@Maireas Every person that has managed to make a successful crossing could give some evidence if they wanted , that 1000's
I don't think they will though

Why do you think they won't, @WayneKnorr?

Either France is an unsafe country in which human rights are disregarded or these people are economic migrants, not genuine asylum -seekers, and shone treated as such. Which is it?

@Maireas
They don't have to and probably know friends who want to attempt the same journey , obviously that's just my opinion

@Libertaire

Either France is an unsafe country in which human rights are disregarded or these people are economic migrants, not genuine asylum -seekers, and shone treated as such. Which is it?

France is already taking FAR MORE asylum seekers (per capita as well as in raw numbers) than we do. English speaking refugees will of course aim to get to the UK, especially if they have family support here, and the UK should be taking their share of people.

If the UK was geographically one of the earlier countries that refugees pass through, would you really be happy with other countries not helping us out?

Instead of the French police watching while the boats get launched why not just walk up and shoot a hole in them?

In fact anyone seen transporting these inflatables anywhere near the coast needs to be stopped and have a good reason to be carrying them.

Why? Getting in a dingy on a beach is not a criminal offence. But deliberately damaging someone else's property is.

@WayneKorr, I think you're right. There's probably a code of silence. Fergal Keane did a report where they got a BBC employee to pose as a would be migrant. The contact was made in Paris initially, and it cost €3k.

@Libertaire

Either France is an unsafe country in which human rights are disregarded or these people are economic migrants, not genuine asylum -seekers, and shone treated as such. Which is it?

You clearly don't understand international law. Asylum seekers are allowed to claim asylum in ANY safe country and are allowed to transit through other countries to get to where they feel safe. If they've fled war and persecution in their home countries they are refugees regardless of how many ''safe' countries they've passed through.